1. Technical Field
The technology disclosed herein relates to an imaging device with which it is possible to combine a plurality of sets of captured image data into a single set of image data.
2. Background Information
Today's digital cameras sometimes have the function of continuous combination processing. With a function of continuous combination processing, a plurality of images are continuously captured and combined into a single image. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H8-214211, for example, discloses a method for producing a single image with a wide dynamic range by combining a plurality of images captured at different exposure settings in an environment with a large brightness difference, such as when the subject is backlit. This combination processing aimed at expanding the dynamic range is also called high dynamic range combination (hereinafter referred to as HDR combination).
The user of a digital camera is able to select a mode for performing continuous combination processing as one imaging mode. Also, a digital camera may have an automatic scene determination mode for automatically determining the scene according to the state of the subject being captured, and continuous combination processing may be selected in this automatic scene determination mode.
With the conventional digital camera discussed above, when continuous combination processing is selected in automatic scene determination mode, there is the risk that continuous capture will be performed at a timing unintended by the user. Also, since combination processing is carried out after continuous capture, a problem is that it takes a long time until the user can perform the next imaging operation.
The present technology was conceived in light of the above problem, and it is an object thereof to make an imaging device that is capable of continuous combination processing more convenient to use.